Books with author Joe Farley

Around Harvard Square is the winner of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work (Youth/Teens)!Around Harvard Square has been named a 2020 Honor Book by the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People"A smart, satirical novel about surviving the racial and cultural tensions ratcheted up in the elite Harvard hothouse. Farley has created a marvelously engaging and diverse set of characters, at the center of which is a nerdy Jamaican American with a philosophical bent and his cohort of oddballs struggling to win a spot on Harvard's brainy humor magazine, which provides a springboard for Farley to dive into the ethics of comedy, among other subjects."--National Book Review, included in Monday's 5 Hot Books"Around Harvard Square [is] C.J. Farley's fun novel about an exceptional Jamaican student-athlete facing class and race issues to get a spot on an elite Harvard University humor magazine."--New York Daily News, included in CaribBeat column"C.J. Farley's Around Harvard Square is a witty and artful narrative of a society on the crossroads of change...A must read."--The Gleaner (Jamaica)Included in the American Booksellers Association's ABC Best Books for Young Adult Readers 2019!Included in Publishers Weekly's Spring 2019 Children's AnnouncementsIncluded in Rich in Color's Six Books to Kickstart April"In his new novel, Around Harvard Square, Farley writes about a scandal strikingly similar to how Singer helped parents and coaches allegedly exploit athletic programs of schools like Yale, Georgetown, and USC."--Fox 5 (New York)"This former Lampoon editor, journalist, and now satirical novelist, has lots of insight into the discrepancies around race and gender that remain present in the comedy industry."--CityLine (WCVB-TV Boston)"Around Harvard Square brings social commentary to college life, approaching the issues in a humorous attitude...Farley makes the injustices more tangible to a younger audience who may be future students at such institutions, and he shows how little progression has been made in the educational system regarding institutional racism."--Prism Review "This coming-of-age novel, set in the '90s, follows Jamaican-American Tosh Livingston and his group of friends--Lao, Meera, and Zippa--on their quest to land coveted spots on the staff of the Harvard Harpoon, Harvard's humor magazine...The characters' clever dialogue challenges privileged and stereotypical thinking."--Publishers WeeklyTosh Livingston, superstar student-athlete from small-town USA, thinks he's made it big as a rising freshman at Harvard University. Not so fast! Once on campus, he's ensnared in a frenzied competition to win a spot on Harvard's legendary humor magazine, the Harpoon. Tosh soon finds that joining the Harpoon is a weird and surprisingly dangerous pursuit. He faces off against a secret society of super-rich kids, gets schooled by a philosophy professor who loves flunking everyone, and teams up with a genius student-cartoonist with an agenda of her own. Along the way, Tosh and his band of misfit freshman friends unearth long-buried mysteries about the Ivy League that will rock the Ivory Tower and change their lives forever...if they can survive the semester.With its whip-smart humor and fast-paced narrative, Around Harvard Square will appeal to readers of all ages interested in exploring the complicated roles that race and class play in higher education.

"The Narnia for the Social Media Generation."--The Wall Street Journal"By the time of Farley's Game World, gaming had gone digital, and while his book is more fantasy-adventure than puzzle-mystery, there are parallels worthy of discussion, from the nature of the games to the depictions of disabled."--Booklist, included in "Conversation Starters: Recontextualizing the Classics""Drawn from both video gaming culture and the rich tapestry of Jamaican myth and folklore, blending pointed social satire and mystical philosophy, this exuberant, original hero's journey is a real trip...Exhilarating, thought-provoking and one of a kind."--Kirkus Reviews"Adult author/Wall Street Journal editor Farley's middle-grade debut draws from Jamaican mythology and beliefs, as well as from other cultures, to weave a fast-paced, whimsical mixture of magic and action...the setting lends itself well to memorable imagery and a fun experience."--Publishers Weekly"Farley blends video gaming and Jamaican folklore in this intense, fast-paced middle-grade fantasy that is sure to quickly grab readers."--Booklist"Here (finally!) is a middle-grade action novel that showcases West Indian mythology and features protagonists of color."--School Library Journal"Game World is unique in that its fantasy world, as its name suggests, is built upon characters and stories from actual Jamaican folklore."--Philadelphia Review of BooksOne of This Spring's Hottest Teen Books, Huffington Post"I found it very hard to set down this excellent novel and do something else without thinking about it....I highly recommend his book to fans of fantasy. Because you will love it!!"--Middle Shelf (reviewed by Teak, age 13)"Farley writes in a straightforward way that is both accessible to younger readers but still interesting to adults."--Persephone Magazine"In his metaphorical world, Farley spares neither the dubious machinations of high finance nor the heartbreak of an orphan."--Center for Fiction"I highly recommend Game World for kids in 4th-12th grade. Parents can read it too and love the characters and story just as much as the kids."--The Family CoachDylan Rudee's life is an epic fail. He's bullied at school and the aunt who has raised him since he was orphaned as a child just lost her job and their apartment. Dylan's one chance to help his family is the only thing he's good at: video games. The multibillion-dollar company Mee Corp. has announced a televised tournament to find the Game-Changers: the forty-four kids who are the best in the world at playing Xamaica, a role-playing fantasy game that's sweeping the planet. If Dylan can win the top prize, he just might be able to change his life.It turns out that Dylan is the greatest gamer anyone has ever seen, and his skills unlock a real-life fantasy world inside the game. Now actual monsters are trying to kill him, and he is swept up into an adventure along with his too-tall genius sister Emma, his hacker best friend Eli, and Ines Mee, the privileged daughter of Mee Corp.'s mysterious CEO and chief inventor. Along the way they encounter Nestuh, a giant spider who can spin a story but not a web; Baron Zonip, a hummingbird king who rules a wildly wealthy treetop kingdom; and an enchantress named Nanni who, with her shadow army, may be bent on conquering Xamaica and stealing its magic.In order to save his sister and his friends, Dylan must solve a dangerous mystery in three days and uncover secrets about Xamaica, his family, and himself. But will he discover his hidden powers before two worlds--Xamaica and Earth--are completely destroyed?

"Drawn from both video gaming culture and the rich tapestry of Jamaican myth and folklore, blending pointed social satire and mystical philosophy, this exuberant, original hero’s journey is a real trip . . . Exhilarating, thought-provoking and one of a kind."--Kirkus Reviews"Adult author/Wall Street Journal editor Farley’s middle-grade debut draws from Jamaican mythology and beliefs, as well as from other cultures, to weave a fast-paced, whimsical mixture of magic and action...the setting lends itself well to memorable imagery and a fun experience."--Publishers Weekly"Farley blends video gaming and Jamaican folklore in this intense, fast-paced middle-grade fantasy that is sure to quickly grab readers."--Booklist"Here (finally!) is a middle-grade action novel that showcases West Indian mythology and features protagonists of color."--School Library JournalOne of This Spring's Hottest Teen Books, Huffington Post"Farley writes in a straightforward way that is both accessible to younger readers but still interesting to adults."--Persephone Magazine"In his metaphorical world, Farley spares neither the dubious machinations of high finance nor the heartbreak of an orphan."--Center for Fiction"I highly recommend Game World for kids in 4th-12th grade. Parents can read it too and love the characters and story just as much as the kids."--The Family Coach"A mixture of fantasy, reality, Jamaican folklore, and history. A great read for all, we love it! My kids and I can relate to the themes and characters in this wonderful adventure. Finally! Thank you, C.J. Farley!”--Ziggy Marley"Fast-paced, fun, and exciting, Game World kept me--and more importantly my twelve-year-old son--turning the pages. It's a unique, refreshing breath of Caribbean-accented fantastical storytelling."--David Anthony Durham, author of the Acacia Trilogy"If William Gibson wrote The Hunger Games, it might feel something like this. Cyberpunk for a new generation of readers!"--Kazu Kibuishi, author of the best-selling Amulet series and Harry Potter cover artist"There are real children here, who blunder, quarrel, pop blisters, get pissed, suffer bullying, and fart--things almost guaranteed to freak out parents, teachers, librarians, and children's book reviewers. There are mysteries and challenges galore. In sum, there's some adult-level mind stretching here."--Piers Anthony, author of the Xanth seriesDylan Rudee's life is an epic fail. He's bullied at school and the aunt who has raised him since he was orphaned as a child just lost her job and their apartment. Dylan's one chance to help his family is the only thing he's good at: video games. The multibillion-dollar company Mee Corp. has announced a televised tournament to find the Game-Changers: the forty-four kids who are the best in the world at playing Xamaica, a role-playing fantasy game that's sweeping the planet. If Dylan can win the top prize, he just might be able to change his life.It turns out that Dylan is the greatest gamer anyone has ever seen, and his skills unlock a real-life fantasy world inside the game. Now actual monsters are trying to kill him, and he is swept up into an adventure along with his too-tall genius sister Emma, his hacker best friend Eli, and Ines Mee, the privileged daughter of Mee Corp.'s mysterious CEO and chief inventor. Along the way they encounter Nestuh, a giant spider who can spin a story but not a web; Baron Zonip, a hummingbird king who rules a wildly wealthy treetop kingdom; and an enchantress named Nanni who, with her shadow army, may be bent on conquering Xamaica and stealing its magic.In order to save his sister and his friends, Dylan must solve a dangerous mystery in three days and uncover secrets about Xamaica, his family, and himself. But will he discover his hidden powers before two worlds--Xamaica and Earth--are completely destroyed?